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Friday, 3 July 2015

Zonal Pelargonium "Dream" - and surviving the heat wave.

This single basic zonal pelargonium is certainly well named. Set against the zone-less mid green leaves, the delicate white petals flushed with palest pink, have an almost dreamlike quality. The Pelargonium Register says it was first mentioned in the Australian Garden Lover - an Australian gardening magazine - in 1935. My photograph was taken in the National Collection of Pelargoniums held at Fibrex Nurseries , Nr Stratford upon Avon, UK

Since we got back from our holiday in France we have been experiencing a heat wave here in the UK. I have a small fan in one of my greenhouses and I have had this on to cool the greenhouse and keep the air moving. The larger greenhouse does not have electricity running to it, so I have to rely on the door and window. It is not usually a problem, but this week it has been so still that I have moved quite a few of my precious plants outside. They seem to enjoy their 'holiday' outside in the fresh air, even though it is hot. The species and hybrid species are usually put outside in the plastic greenhouse anyway. This is always left open so no problems here. I am hoping for some rain to re-fill the water butts tonight. It seems to miss us here in the South East.

I am going to Hampton Court Flower Show this weekend, so hope to have some pictures to show you. I say 'hope' because the show is always very busy and therefore not easy to take photographs.